Invalid&#39;s bed



July 26, 1949. l M. D. BEL-:M ET AL 2,477,400

INVALIDS BED Filed oct. 15, 1945 2 'sheets-sheet 2 n f/vl/f/vos Y MARI/a D. @ff/v ALLA/v f TA YLo/e Patented July 26, 1949 Application `(ctoiicr `15, 1945, Serialllo.` 622,386

(cie-:69)

5 Claims.

Thisinveritiori lrelates to an; invalds'be'd `of the typ-e used inhospitels, anaisdire-etedpeitieu1er1y to a mattresssupportingmechanism of the type' embodying hinged `sections 'provided with `lift ieehemism Afer raisigthe seetienSt-o e'reelinmg seetpesitien.

Abed of this type ordinarily embodies 'a 'back rest, `a legrest and a "thigh section hinged lietween the `back and leg rest, with the hinge between the back .restanti thigh s-ection being attached to the "fixed ffraine of thebed'and the (knee) hinge between the thiglti` sectionand leg rest "being free tdmo've upwardly. In all such beds, the thigh section Vhas a xed length which is adapted to' the per'sn cfhaveiage' build. Abncrmllyshort o1'` abnormallytall' persns, iiowever, irid that the thigh section fiseither too long Ior too short for maximum comfort. "With this prblem in mind, the invention has as its general object to provide a lied of the hinged seetieri typein wht-en thethigh section is adjust-` ebiefrliegtn.

Ariet'her oe'iect ef nthe Aintven-tiot1 is' te provide an' ladju"stable thigh Section bedii'i which theadj uetftiet ofthe iene'tiief the thighse-etten dees r't materially iiea's'e Oi' tde'ciease; the yoverall lengthet the mattress sfdptaertimetreme.` l A further* bjedtfi's to" "provide 'a 'adjustable thigh Section bed in `Witten' `eeiusttrtent ef 'the titten seetiefnt.A maybe eeeefnpiished lwith maxi;

mum simplicity aiid'e'ase.l y

` In general, the inifeit'contemplates a bed in whiehfthere is e Ideut-1e hinge `between the thigh section endithe ieg Jtest, with means `for sendung-either ef thegtwe hinges in eraerfthe-t only one 'ofthem n'iay' be lQ15'e''eitive. 'More spe'- eiiieetiiy, the invention contempla-es eri efrengee ment wheiei'nthereis et Snerteeetienfmterpesed 'between the thigh [sciiti-ori and 'the 'flieg restZ hinged te eeen ef- 'these memeers,` and adapted f 2 tin when taken in connection with'the'appiidd aretwingsih which: t A* Fig. 1 a Side eleila'ti' `f a bed em'bdifi'g uiinveritin;

` Fig. 2is a longitudinal setial View thgl' the seat "pdrtin f the bed, `illusti"ating `one f theA amitie 5 hinges in i epe'r'etiv'e condition;`

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional View illustrating the tliei of the 'doublehing'es in peiatiie Ciiditiii: v ing. 4 is e detailed transverse seetieneliiiew taken oi-i the line 4-"4 ci Fig; 1; n Fig. 5 isa `detailed sectional View taken on the line* 5--5 df Fig. l1

Fig. G is'a detailed lise se-sefFig 1'; t

' Fig, i' is e iegituinei seetie'iiel View through a "double liinge embodying a inedied fi'mof the iiiveht'io;` and Fig; 8 isv` a treflet/'elise s'trial Viewof the hinge shown in Fig. '7.

an example ofone form inwhichthe invention may be embodied, `we havefshown in "the dawings 4aniiivalis bed ceiripising a suppditing-cabinet Ill having a head member l and a foot member '|2 "projecting upwardly thereforii,4 having utility drawers I3 `and hinged `panels M f5,` and having a panel 6 fcar'fyi-g a lavatory which may he as shown in `the application Seiial NQ. 591,099 of Maivl iBeei, for* Invalid-shed `Referring t() Figs. 2-5 inclusive, the' bd is piovide'd with longitudinally extending lfreine members |"1 on which supcrted al lsub frar'n f8? having longitudinally extending side rails i9. The ymattress supporting frame compises a plu-'- Ialityv of sections' elCh haVing a bOttm `Ia'ortitlh Zliyii WlliCh-theli'iatti'ess 48 Tests, al-lidllpwardly -prjectififg sde flanges 2l,- b'tweei the'sides` O'f wheh the mattress is `plsitiolfled. The `Side flanges 2l are in the ferm of dewnwaidlir einen` ing channels, in "which the fiarli `rails i9 4elfe received.

The mattreSsSupIOrtmg file'sectins include the heeely rest section it, tite'intemeeiete thigh" sectieii B; and the f'ct rest section G; Th' foot rest section C is connected to the thigh section B by aiiyinter'nediate section Dl'ad a #air ef hinges 22 and The I-Itei'hiediate Stn D" coin-prises aai-rf of inverted channels 214 each connected to a iiange 2| f the thigh section B` f 'by ay hinge 22 4and tfth leg section 'C by :a hinge 23. The legs of the Channels 2F11 `are trapez'i'dall outliie. A transverse rod vZ5, on` which is` hinged a 'pair 0i flaps 2'6 `and 327, has its eids'l meutea in the ehermeis 24. Tneedgeeef sees 12s, zi esente tite edges that ere "negeer 3 to the rod 25, overlap and rest upon the upper surfaces of the ybottom members 28 of the frame sections B and C respectively, and slide upon these surf-aces.

The back rest A is adapted to be elevated. by suitable lift mechanism which is not shown but is similar to the lift mechanism for the thigh section B, which lift mechanismincludes a pair of arms 28 hinged at 29 to the stationary frame Y I1 and having, at their ends `opposite the hinge 29, rollers 30 which engage the under surface of` the bottom member 20 of the thigh section B.

4 This gap is of suflicient width so that there is no danger of any member that could be damaged, being caught therein. The gap is covered by a. flexible sheet metal leaf 45 the edges of which are hinged to the back rest A and thigh section B at 46 and 41 respectively. l

When the back rest Afand thigh section B are in their lowered positions, the leaf 45 will be stretched in a flat plane as indicated in dotted lines. When the back rest A and thigh section B are in their positions of normal elevation shown The arms 28 normally lie substantially below the plane of the sub frame I9. They are pivoted'at 3l to push rods 32 through Vwhich elevating movement is transmitted.

. The thigh section B, as it is elevated, carries with it the leg rest C. The weight of the leg rest C, imposed upon the hinges 23, tends to rotate the intermediate section D downwardly around the axis of the hinges 22. Such downward movement of the section D may be prevented by a latch 33 which is pivoted at 34 to a side flange 2l of the thigh section B. The latch 33 is adapted to project into a slot 35 in the bottom memberZ to engage the edge of the flap 26. With the flap thus engagechit is impossible for the intermediate section 24 to swing downwardly about the hinges-22. Instead, it is held in a position projecting in alignment with the side 1 flanges 2l of the thigh section B as shown in Fig. 2. Y Y Y The latch 33 may be provided with a lip 36 adapted to. project Vover the upper surface of the flap 26 and prevent any possibility of the nap 26 slipping oi the end of the latch 33 when compression is applied between Ythe two members. The latch 33 is also provided with a lever 3,1 which'extends upwardly and is provided with a handle 38 at its upper end. When the lever 31 is moved toward the head rest A, the latch 33 will be liftedabove the flap 26, permitting the latter to slide beneath the latch and thereby allowing the intermediate section YD to tilt downwardly about the hinge 22 toa position of alignment with foot rest section C as shown in Fig. 3. In this position, a pair of lugs 39 and 40 on the ends of the .side plates of the channel 24, and the anges 2| of the leg rest C will engage to provide a stop action which prevents therhinge 23 breaking downwardly and thus supports the foot rest C in alignment with the connecting section D as shown in Fig. 3.

It may now be noted that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the flap 26 will cover a gap existing between the end of the bottom wall 20 of the thigh section B and. the hinge 25, while in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 3, the flap 21 will cover a gap existing between the hinge 25 and the end of the bottom wall 20 of the leg rest C. In addition to its primary function of covering the gap, the flap 26 alsoserves as part of the means for latching the connecting section D in alignment with the thigh section B.

Lugs 4I and 42 on the channel 24 and flanges ZI of the thigh section B are adapted to engage when the thigh sectionB and'intermediate section D are in alignment, to prevent the hinge 22 break.-V

ing downwardly. (See Fig. 6.) The lugs 39 and 4I)y are similar to the lugs 4I and 42.

The thigh section B and back rest A are hinged to each other and to the side rails I9 of the sub frame I8 by means of hinges 43. The ends of the flanges 2ll and Ybottom walls 28 of the section A and B adjacent to hinge 43 are cut away as at 44 toleave a gap between such ends at all times.

in Fig. 2, ltheplate 45 will assume a broad curve coaxial with the axis of natural flexing of the mattress 48, which is of sponge rubber. The plate 45 is of spring material, and therefore will flex with a substantially uniform curvature.

In order to secure the proper amount of flexure of the plate 45 froma flat condition to a properly curved condition, the location of the axis of the hinge 43 (its spacing above the common plane of the bottom walls 2Ilwhen the latter are horizontal) is correlated to the spacing of the hinges 46 and 41 so that only a moderate amount of foreshorteningof the distance between the hinges 46 and 41 will occur as the back rest and thigh section swing upwardly from their horizontal positions to their elevated positions. To this end, the axis of the hinges 43 is located intermediate the common plane of the hingesr46, 41 in their lowered positions and the common plane of the pivots 46, 41 in their elevated positions, and is somewhat'closer to the former plane than Yto the latter. Also, there is a lost motion` connection in the hinge 46 which permits the hinges 46 and 41 to spread as they move upwardly from the lower of the two aforesaid planes to a common plane for all three of the hinge axes 46, 41, 43. The lost motion connection may be effected by elongating one setof the hinge loops -comprising theY tions, while the lower walls 5I) are cut away at 5I to permit Veach hinge to breakV upwardly except when rigidified by a sleeve 52 which may be slid longitudinally over either of the hinges.

We claim as our invention:

l. In an invalids bed, in combination with a supporting structure; a mattress supporting frame comprising a back rest, a thigh section and a leg rest arranged in the order named, with the back rest and thigh section hinged to each other and to said supporting structure and means joining said thigh section to said leg rest, said last means including a pair of hinges spaced from each other longitudinally of the bed a distance materially less than the longitudinal dimension of either said thigh section or leg rest, and means for causing said hinges to selectively assume positions in which their common plane lies either in the general plane of the thigh section or inthe general plane Vof the leg rest, whereby to vary` spaced from each other longitudinally of the bed, joining said thigh section to said leg rest, means for lifting said thigh section, means for selectively maintaining said hinges with their common plane parallel to said thigh section, said means being releasable to cause said leg rest to drop downwardly by gravity with reference to said thigh section, until said hinges assume a position in which their common plane lies in the general plane of the leg rest, whereby to vary the effective length of the thigh section.

3. In an invalids bed, in combination with a supporting structure, a mattress supporting frame including a back rest, a thigh section and a leg rest arranged in the order named, with the back rest and thigh section hinged to each other and to the supporting structure, lift mechanism for exerting lift against the thigh section so as to elevate the thigh section and leg rest, and means including a pair of transverse, parallel hinges connecting said thigh section to said leg `rest on axes that are spaced from each other,

and means for selectively maintaining said hinges in positions in which their common plane is aligned with the general plane of the thigh section, said means being releasable to cause the leg rest to drop downwardly by gravity with reference to the thigh section, until the hinges assume a position in whichtheir common plane is aligned with the general plane of the leg rest.

4. In an invalids bed. in combination with a supporting structure, a mattress supporting rame comprising a back rest and a thigh section hinged to each other and to said supporting struc-` ture on a transverse axis, the adjacent ends of said back rest and thigh section being spaced from each other to provide agap between said back rest and thigh section, and a leaf of iiexible sheet metal spanning said gap, said leaf being hinged to said back rest and thigh section on transverse axes that lie below the hinge axis on which the back rest and thigh section are hinged to the supporting structure when said back rest and thigh section are in their lowered, horizontal positions, and that lie above said hinge axis when said back restand thigh section are in their elevated positions.

5. In an invalids bed, in combination with a supporting structure, a mattress supporting frame comprising a back rest, a thigh section and a leg rest arranged in the order named, with the back rest and thigh section hinged to each other and to the supporting structure on a main hinge and with the thigh section and leg rest hinged to each other on a knee hinge axis that is adapted to be elevated, said thigh section and back rest having adjacent ends that are spaced apart to denne a gap, and a leaf of flexible sheet metal spanning said gap and hinged at its opposite edges to said back rest and thigh section, on hinge axes that lie below said main axis when the back rest and thigh section are in their lowered positions and that lie above said main axis when the back rest and thigh section are in their elevated positions, and with said last two mentioned hinge axes closer together in the elevated positionsthan'in the lowered positions, whereby to cause said leaf to bow downwardly in a broad curve when in the elevated position.

MARVEL D. BEEM. ALLAN J. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 347,024 Bonnefoy Aug. 10, 1886 811,492 Fair Jan. 30, 1906 1,373,151 Slabinski Mar. 29, 1921 1,397,773 Muir Nov. 22, 1921 1,564,596 LoGrasso Dec. 8, 1925 1,973,699 Bradley Sept. 18, 1934 2,026,153 wright et al. Dee. 31, 1935 

